Despite taking over at Harvard in April, Tommy Amaker was able to put a quick recruiting stamp on the program by bringing in a JuCo transfer in the early summer. This supplemented a trio of high school players who had committed to Frank Sullivan, and all three kept their pledges after the coaching change. The three freshmen all have a shot at immediate minutes this season, though it’s the transfer who has the greatest likelihood of cracking the rotation right away.
SG T.J. Carey – 6-3, 190 lbs. (Long Beach, NY – St. Dominic HS)
Rated 952nd nationally by HoopScoop, Carey selected Harvard over interest from Princeton and Yale during his senior year at St. Dominic High School on Long Island. He missed a chance to gain more exposure on the summer camp circuit when he broke his hand on the first day of Eastern Invitational Camp. Carey’s leadership skills seem to come up repeatedly among the staffs who evaluated him. His versatility on the court could earn him a role this season for Harvard — especially given his willingness to work hard at the defensive end.
SF Adam Demuyakor – 6-5, 215 lbs. (Buford, GA – North Gwinnett HS)
A Georgia native, Demuyakor selected Harvard in the fall after receiving some early interest from Yale and Wofford. The North Gwinnett High School graduate reportedly is an impressive physical specimen with excellent strength and athleticism. His rebounding may be the most developed of his skills at this point, which could come in handy off the Crimson bench.
C Çem Dinç – 6-10, 240 lbs. (Hamm, Germany – Marshalltown CC/Indiana)
Harvard should boast the first Ivy Leaguer to play basketball after having declared for the NBA Draft, as Dinç declared early before withdrawing his name in 2006, following his freshman year at Indiana. A member of the Turkish National Team with dual German citizenship, he comes to Cambridge after spending last season at Marshalltown Community College in Iowa, where he averaged 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. However, Dinç only played in 12 of his team’s 31 games due to eligibility issues and injuries. Health is a lingering concern for the 6-10 big man who boasts very good athleticism and remarkable quickness. These attributes attracted the interest of programs like George Washington and Boston University, as well as preliminary interest from Columbia and Penn. Dinç may get a shot at a starting role in the Crimson frontcourt this fall, and he will have two years of eligibility remaining, beginning immediately.
F Kyle Fitzgerald – 6-7, 200 lbs. (Red Bank, NJ – Red Bank Regional HS)
Fitzgerald was rated the 587th best high school senior in the nation last year, and Scouts, Inc. gives him a rating of 73 and ranks him 98th among Class of 2007 small forwards. He was named to Asbury Park Press‘s All-Shore First Team after putting up 19.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Red Bank Regional High School in New Jersey. While touted as a small forward on many recruiting sites, Fitzgerald has a frame more suited to power forward, which is where he played in high school. His work on the boards has drawn praise, and that could be his biggest asset as a freshman.
